Easy Rösti with Tuna Steak and steamed Broccoli

Prep time 2 minutes	Cooking time 15 minutes
Serves 1	Calories 420 in total

I have a Chinese supermarket nearby and I like their frozen tuna steaks (just under £10 for 5 individually sealed steaks). The rösti couldn’t be much easier to make than this, all it requires is a grater or a food processor that can do the coarse grating for you. Why steamed broccoli? Because of the latest findings in vegetable cooking this is the healthiest way of cooking vegetables. The vitamins stay where they are (doesn’t get cooked away into the water) and the flavour and colour are also so much nicer. The salting of steamed vegetables is a little tricky, I use one of two ways to do this. The first: while cleaning the veg add salt to the last rinse and leave vegs in soak for a couple of minutes. The second: in the steamer add double salt to the water below the veg and the steam will then become salty.

• 1 Tuna Steak
• 200g grated potatoes (one large potato)
• Onion and garlic salt
• 4-6 broccoli flowers
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 10g butter

1. Coarsely grate a washed potato (no need for peeling), place the grated potato in one bowl of boiling hot water, leave to rest for a minute or so, then drain it, but leave it in the strainer.
2. Wash the broccoli flowers and place in a steamer. Dissolve the salt in the steamer water (button bowl), place the steamer in a microwave and cook on full heat for max 3 minutes.
3. In the meantime – I like using a wok, because I can control the heat and I don’t need too much frying oil – heat a wok/frying-pan – when hot add 1 tbsp oil and 10g butter, when this has amalgamated – add the grated potato. Flatten into a pancake, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion salt and or garlic salt. Fry for 5 minutes each side. Leave lid on.
4. While the rösti is frying – heat a griddle pan (or just a frying pan) – dry the tuna steak on some kitchen towel – when the pan is smoking hot place the tuna stake on it. Seal both sides before seasoning (salt, pepper and maybe some garlic salt) and if using a frying pan – add a little oil – lower the heat. Fry for max 2 minutes each side.
5. Remove the lid from the rösti and turn heat up to make the sides crispy, max one minute each side.

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Chicken Lasagna without pasta

Prep time max 10 minutes	Cooking time 20-25 minutes
Serves 2-3	Calories 755 in total

• 150g cooked skinless chicken, cut or torn into bite size pieces
• 100g grated cheese, lactose free
• 1-2 courgette thinly sliced slightly on an angle to be used instead of lasagna
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tin of peeled tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and black pepper.
• A prise of mixed herbs, thyme.
• Sweet Spanish paprika Grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 200° C.
2. In the meantime, use a food processor to chop the onions, garlic and tomatoes.
3. Spread the chicken pieces in a large lasagna dish.
4. Spread the tomato mix over the chicken pieces.
5. Cover the dish with a layer of sliced courgettes.
6. Finish with a layer of grated cheese
7. Dust with paprika and a touch of nutmeg
8. Place in oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes at 200°C.

Super healthy dinner for one

Calories: 380 cooking and prep time max 15 minutes

For the stir-fry:

• 100g cooked chicken, diced roughly.
• ½ medium sized onion, chopped
• ½ courgette, julienned
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 3 cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 5g butter
• Salt, pepper and herbs to taste.

For the rösti:

• 1 medium potato, grated and washed (after grating)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 5g butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion salt.

Start the stir-fry:

1. Melt the butter and oil in a wok.
2. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes and herbs; let simmer for 2 minutes stirring now and again.
3. Lower the heat and add courgettes and chicken, stir it, cover with lid and leave simmering for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, make the rösti.

1. Rinse the grated potato in cold water, squeeze as much water from the rinsed potato.
2. Heat the oil and butter on a separate frying pan.
3. Shape the potato on the pan like a pancake. Use a spatula to press and shape the rösti.
4. Sprinkle the potato pancake (one side only) with the herbs.
5. Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes on both sides.

Quick Healthy Lunch

Serves 1

Time from start till finish: 5 minutes

I was hungry and didn’t have any bread for a sandwich.
So, a rummaged in my fridge and freezer
and this was the result of my finds.

Ingredients:

½ Onion, chopped finely

1 Tomato, chopped not too finely

100g lardons

100g leftover chicken, cut into cubes

100g frozen mixed vegetables.

1 tsp olive oil

15-30g butter

Salt, pepper and whatever other herbs you want or none.

Method:

1. Heat the butter and the oil in wok (or frying pan).
2. Add the onions and lardons, and fry until the onions are translucent.
3. Then add the frozen vegetables, stir, cover and leave for 1-2 minutes.
4. While the vegetables thaw and cook, chop the tomato and chicken meat.
5. Then add this to the wok, stir and add your herbs.
6. Cover and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Courgette and Pecorino Fritters.

Serves 3-4       preparation time 15 minutes       baking time 20-22 minutes
Turn your bumper courgette crop into satisfying snacks, delicious hot and/or cold.

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• 250g courgette; shredded
• 1 large egg
• 70-100g grated pecorino (an Italian cheese made from ewes’ milk)
• 100g Panko (or 80g polenta for gluten free)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed with press)
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for greasing the baking sheet

1. Toss courgette and salt together in a large colander and place in sink to drain for 10 minutes. Then Squeeze to drain even further.
2. Mix pecorino, panko, crushed garlic, the egg and pepper in a large bowl; and stir in the drained shredded courgette.
3. Scoop a table spoon of ‘dough’ and drop onto a large greased baking sheet, roughly shaping each into a log.
4. Bake in a 200°C oven for 20-22 minutes, turning halfway through.

• Dipping Sauce:
  • Stir chopped chives and basil into sour cream.

Spinach Omelette with Fried (Finger) Soldiers

I really fancied something substantial that didn’t take hours to make. I happen to have some spinach and a little pack of pancetta. So here is a delicious spinach omelette with onions, pancetta and fried soldiers.

Preparation and cooking time 5-10 minutes

Step 1: Fry the pancetta and onion; when blanched add the spinach, lower the heat and leave until the spinach is wilted.

Step2: Mix 1-2 eggs with a little water (half an eggshell of water), salt, pepper and whatever flavour you want. Pour this mixture over the fried onions, pancetta & spinach. Cover with lid and fry on low heat for another minute

Step3: While Step2 is finishing, heat another frying pan, butter the bread and place buttered side down in the frying pan, when the first side is nearly done (approx. 1 minute) butter the other side and turn the bread over.

Step4: Cut the fried bread into finger soldiers and serve with the omelette.

Tomato, Onion and Orange Salad

Preparation time 10 minutes

I wanted to make a different salad and had seen other people using oranges in salads with avocado. I didn’t have an avocado, so here is my version of a salad using oranges.

• 2-3 ripe tomatoes, cut in thinnish ring slices
• 1 Onion, cut in thin slices
• 2-3 mandarins, cut in thinnish ring slices
• 1 tbls olive oil
• ½ tbls rice vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh Parsley and/or Chives, chopped

1. Cut the tomatoes and mandarins as thin as possible into rings.
2. Use a mandolin to very finely slice the onion.
3. Place the tomato, onion and mandarin slices on a plate alternating them.
4. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on all the salad.
5. Then drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the ring.
6. Cover with cling film and keep at room temperature until served.
7. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and/or fresh chives.

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